Hiraya Water, formerly PrimeWater, starts P600-million Cavite project

MANILA, Philippines — Hiraya Water Corp., formerly PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp., has started rehabilitating and expanding its water distribution system by launching a P600-million project to upgrade services in Dasmariñas City, Cavite.

The project, according to Hiraya Water, is the first major infrastructure initiative under Crystal Bridges Holdings Corp., which is owned by retail tycoon Lucio Co.

Co completed his acquisition of PrimeWater from the Villar family in May.

The announcement came after the firm allocated more than P6.7 billion for the initial phase of its rehabilitation and expansion program earlier this week.

Dasmariñas water service upgrade

Among the project's aims is the replacement of 24 kilometers of old water pipelines in the city through the Non-Revenue Water Reduction and Total Pipe Replacement Program.

Its first rollout will replace an aging nine-kilometer pipeline in Barangays Sampaloc IV and Victoria Reyes and is expected to positively affect around 16,000 households.

“Once completed, water availability in these areas is expected to increase to as much as 12 to 24 hours daily, while water pressure is also projected to improve significantly,” Hiraya Water said in a statement.

Aside from pipe replacements, Hiraya Water said it is also planning to build a 700-cubic-meter water storage tank in Barangay Paliparan II and install a booster system that can also extend service to Barangay Paliparan III.

Once constructed, the company said the project could increase water supply and pressure, benefiting around 8,700 service connections.

Moreover, Hiraya Water also said it is investing in the development of a new water source to increase daily water availability and pressure across 17 barangays.

Restoring trust

Hiraya Water President Jose Paulino Santamarina said these investments are intended to restore the trust of its customers.

“It marks the beginning of restoring public trust, not through words alone, but through completed projects and services that every resident can genuinely experience,” Santmarina said.

The company has operated under the name Hiraya Water since June after securing approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Before the transfer of ownership in 2025, PrimeWater was the subject of an investigation by the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) following complaints of interrupted water supply and high charges from consumers in Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Bohol and Pangasinan.

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